


Friendship: With a Restful Gaze

by donutsweeper



Category: Intelligence (US TV 2014)
Genre: Fever, Friendship, Gen, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-15
Updated: 2014-12-15
Packaged: 2018-02-24 17:41:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,254
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2590451
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/donutsweeper/pseuds/donutsweeper
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Some days Riley's job is easier than others.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Friendship: With a Restful Gaze

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Muir_Wolf](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Muir_Wolf/gifts).



> A Yuletide treat for Muir_Wolf.
> 
> Thanks to Dryad for the beta!

**Friendship After Love** _by Ella Wheeler Wilcox_  

    
    
    After the fierce midsummer all ablaze
        Has burned itself to ashes, and expires
        In the intensity of its own fires,
    There come the mellow, mild, St. Martin days
    Crowned with the calm of peace, but sad with haze.
        So after Love has led us, till he tires
        Of his own throes, and torments, and desires,
    Comes large-eyed friendship: with a restful gaze,
    He beckons us to follow, and across
        Cool verdant vales we wander free from care.
        Is it a touch of frost lies in the air?
    Why are we haunted with a sense of loss?
    We do not wish the pain back, or the heat;
    And yet, and yet, these days are incomplete.

* * *

Riley knocked on Gabriel's door. After waiting a few minutes she called out, "Come on, Gabriel, it's ten after already, we're running late." She knocked again twice before trying Gabriel's cell phone. She could hear it ringing inside, which wasn't good. It wasn't likely he was suffering the effects of being hacked again, not after the upgrades Doctor Cassidy had performed after the last time, but there weren't many reasons Gabriel might have for not answering his phone and none of them were any good.

Pulling out her keys she made short work of unlocking his door before she drew her gun and entered the apartment. "Gabriel?" she called out as she stepped inside. The apartment looked normal, just as she'd left it the night before, except for the fact that Gabriel was standing in the middle of the room, barefoot and wearing just a pair of sleep pants. "Gabriel, I've been knocking for about five minutes, why didn't you answer me?" she asked, before realizing he appeared to be rendering and didn't seem to be aware of her at all.

It was always unnerving to come across Gabriel when he was rendering - to watch him walk through a place that he was seeing only in his mind and interact with what appeared to be nothing but air to her, but was definitely something to him. Except usually, even when focused completely on the picture he was creating, he still was capable of interacting with the regular world. "Gabriel?" She reached out, first touching him gently on the shoulder. When that elicited no response, she shook his arm. "Time to stop playing around."

Still getting no reaction she holstered her weapon and stepped in front of him, cupping his cheek in her hand. He was an odd combination of being both extremely pale but with flushed, hot cheeks and was covered in a thin layer of sweat. "Gabriel?" He continued to stare at whatever only he could see for a few moments before blinking a few times and seeming to come back to himself.

"Riley?" His voice was horse and breathless. 

"Yeah, it's me. You okay?" she kept her hand on his face so he had no choice but to look her in the eye. 

"When did you get here... What happened?" He shook his head, maybe trying to clear it, but despite that he seemed a little lost and confused.

"I think you got lost in a render. How do you feel?" They'd had dinner together so Riley knew he hadn't had anything to drink last night, so he wasn't hung over, but they had been working nonstop and at the moment he definitely looked run down, if not outright ill. 

"It's cold?"

"No, not really," she responded. "But then again I have actual clothes on and you don't. I think you're sick. I'm going to call Doctor Cassidy and you're going to go back to bed."

Of course it wasn't as simple as that. Riley had to practically herd Gabriel back into the bedroom and then manhandle him into bed. "Stay," she ordered, once she got him lying down and under the blankets.

"Woof woof," he replied, which was a bit of a relief. If he felt good enough to sass her then he couldn't be that ill.

"Very funny," she said as she pulled out her cell phone, but she was pretty sure she hadn't been able to keep the smile off her face at his joke. "You take it easy, I'll see what the Doc has to say."

Within a few minutes she was keeping an eye on Gabriel from the kitchen and she'd reached the Doc's answering machine. Damn it.

At the tone she said, "Hey, Doc, it's Riley. Gabriel is sick. The flu, I'm guessing. But it's affecting the chip somewhat, I found him earlier lost in a render although he seems fine now. Anyway, I'm calling us both out sick today. I'll let Lillian know. Call me back when you get this or come by his place, we'll both be here. Bye."

She then sent a quick text to Lillian explaining the situation before calling out,"Can I get you anything?" 

"I'm fine," Gabriel called back, sounding even worse than he had earlier. It didn't seem possible for a voice to be that croaky and horse.

"Yeah, no, I'm making you tea." She grabbed the teapot off the stove and began filling it up. She wasn't positive, but she was pretty sure he muttered something about her being a damned busybody. "It's just tea. It's not a big deal." It might not be as special as a Vaughn family hangover remedy, but hot tea made with a dash of honey and a splash of orange juice was always what was served in the Neal household when anyone was sick. Riley didn't pretend to understand why it worked, she just knew it did.

Five minutes later the tea was ready and she'd received replies to both her texts, the gist of them being that Doctor Cassidy would be by shortly to look at Gabriel and she was to keep Gabriel resting in bed until he could be examined. Easier said than done. She brought the tea into the bedroom and found that Gabriel had burrowed under the blankets a bit, but other than that, he hadn't moved. "Here, I have tea, sit up." 

"Lie down, sit up, make up your mind," Gabriel grumbled but he did shift and pull himself into a more upright position. 

"Once you drink up I'll leave you alone. At least until Doctor Cassidy gets here," she said, holding out the tea for him.

He accepted the mug gingerly and took a sip, raising an eyebrow at the taste. Refusing to apologize for it she said, "You have your family remedies, I have mine."

"It's different." Instead of commenting on it further he added, "There's no need for you to stay, Riley. The Doc's going to come on over and tell me what we already know - that I've got the flu - and we both know there's nothing that can be done about the flu other than time and rest."

"Except it's my job to stay. You won't even know I'm here, I'll just read the paper-"

"I don't get the paper."

"Or something. Why don't you get the paper?"

Gabriel tapped his forehead. "With the chip I don't need the paper."

"Right. Well, I've my phone. I can read the news or play some games. There's plenty for me to keep myself occupied with here. You drink and rest and I'll let the Doc in when he gets here, alright?"

"Fine," Gabriel sighed and Riley turned to leave the bedroom. "Riley?"

Pausing in the doorway, she said, "Yeah?"

"Thank you."

"You're welcome, Gabriel."


End file.
